234 SFOJiT IN ABYSSINIA. 



I am sure it did them all a great deal of good, Abys- 

 sinians, as a rule, not being fond of water applied 

 externally. The not very delicious odour experienced 

 on going amongst them is a sufficient guarantee of 

 this statement. 



Whilst I was sitting outside my tent an Armenian 

 merchant, who, my servants told me, went by the 

 name of Bogos, passed by with several mule loads of 

 ivory ; he had come from the Shoa country, and he 

 was one of the best-looking men whom I had ever 

 seen ; very fair, at least in comparison with Abys- 

 sinians, and dressed in the costume of the country. 

 He informed me that the steamer was expected to- 

 day, which was its proper day ; and I hoped to arrive 

 in time for it, as, if I could stand the journey, I should 

 be at Massowah to-morrow. I had found an old 

 copy of Milton in K.'s house, and so I passed the 

 morning in reading ' Comus,' which I enjoyed very 

 much. 



I left Maihenzee about mid-day. It was very 

 curious to observe the change in the vegetation at 

 the top of the pass ; the coast rains had ceased on 

 the side nearest Massowah, and everything on that 

 side was green and beautiful, whilst in the part I had 

 just traversed the ground was completely dried up, 

 and bushes and trees were bare. I stopped at 

 Mehdet and procured something to eat, then I travelled 



